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his refers to an article entitled '€œWorkers stay off work to prepare for nationwide strike'€ (The Jakarta Post, Oct. 29).

Could anybody enlighten and correct me since this situation is a bit strange to me.

As I understand it '€” the biggest problem is the population density, which has led to high unemployment. There are just not enough jobs for people. This is visible in Jakarta: Every cafe has at least 20 employees, usually doing nothing, instead of five. But they are paid the appropriate salary for doing nothing.

To solve this issue '€” there to be more job opportunities. For there to be more vacancies, there needs to be more businesses.

As soon as demand for workers grows '€” competition between employers will lead to higher salaries.

To provide more working places, the business sector must be developed.

However, as I understand it, it is difficult to establish new companies (I don'€™t pertain to know the reasons). But what I do know is that, more often than not, locals object to external companies opening branches and business.

What seems obvious to me is that if new foreign companies open business in Indonesia '€” this means employment opportunities.

But the current situation looks like the following: People just demand a higher salary, which is normal by human nature. So employers respond by increasing salaries but this has a knock on effect and leads to the prices of their products rising. These higher priced products '€” available on the Indonesian market '€” automatically decrease the buying power of local people. Then what happens? They come again and ask for another raise!

And here we have a vicious circle that leads to inflation, hyperinflation and destruction.

I would welcome any comments on this issue and answers to what is actually going on here.

Di Was Doe
Jakarta